Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is arguably the best Alpine ski racer of all time, male or female. She has four World Cup overall titles, gold and bronze Olympic medals, and more than 130 podium appearances. Further breaking the gender barrier, she is in contention to surpass legendary Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record of 86 wins. Vonn is currently at 77.

Vonn has paid the price in injuries for her aggressive stay, including a torn ACL, MCL, and a fractured tibia. In November 2016 she crashed while training and broke her arm, damaging her radial nerve, which meant she lost function in her right hand. She still returned to the World Cup in January. But Vonn, a native Minnesotan who now lives in Vail, Colorado, says her array of injuries have had an important role.

“I wouldn’t appreciate anything. I’m a much happier person because of the injuries. If I didn’t have those setbacks, it would be too easy. Everyone needs an obstacle to overcome to show yourself what you are capable of,” she told ESPN W.

Her downtime has also given her the ability to reflect and give back. While recovering in 2015, she wrote Strong is the New Beautifuland launched the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, focused on getting women into sports.

What’s Next

Vonn is focused on getting strong for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, as well as breaking Stenmark’s World Cup record.